Rapimento E Ritorno
by KitsuneMiyuKendraHyuga
Summary: Non-Massacre. "So, my little dear, I'm sure you must be wondering why we captured you." When a kidnapping makes Sakura finally realize her feelings for a certain ANBU captain. Eighth of my Italian story-arc.


A/N: eighth instalment of the Italian saga, after "Sacrificio". It's not strictly indispensable to read the others first, but it surely helps.

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Sakura fell to the ground, unconscious.

She didn't hear Itachi scream her name, nor did she see the enemies pick her up quickly and leave, taking her away with them.

Shisui and Genma had a few injuries, but both were as shocked as Itachi was. Sakura had been kidnapped! And right in front of them!

Itachi, as soon as he had been able to find his composure again, ordered the two to go back to Konoha immediately and ask for reinforcements. He would chase Sakura's abductors. At Genma and Shisui's protests, the ANBU captain curtly replied that they were both injured, chakra-depleted and in need of medical care. He, instead, had still more than half his chakra and no injuries.

That wasn't the only reason he wanted to go after the enemies immediately. He had seen the life leave Sakura's eyes when she had fallen to the ground. Rationality told him that she had only been knocked out, that she was only unconscious, but what could rationality possibly know. He had to see with his own eyes that she was alive.

The woman he loved had willingly taken a blow that was meant for him. She had been kidnapped under his eyes, and he hadn't been able to protect her.

He'd be _damned_ if he didn't find her and bring her back with him as quickly as he could.

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When Sakura woke up, her head was pounding. She groaned, "Itachi…" and tried to get up.

She discovered that she wasn't able to. And that Itachi wasn't there. She was chained to a wall, with her hands behind her back and chakra bonds around them. She hadn't been blindfolded, though.

The medic looked around. She was in what appeared to be a small cellar, without windows and only one door with small holes that allowed a little light to come in. It was quite cold. Her chakra had not been drained, but she wasn't able to use it because of the chakra bonds. Her weapons had been taken from her, too. But her clothes had not been removed.

Sakura smirked inwardly. During her time at the interrogation unit she had studied chakra bonds, and what to do if she was subjected to them. She knew they couldn't be broken with normal instruments, because chakra was necessary to break them. However, she couldn't use her own because it was blocked by those bonds. Therefore, with the help of Morino Ibiki, she had prepared a few sharp objects to hide in her clothes, easy to get even if her hands were tied. Those objects had already chakra concentrated in them, and couldn't be detected by a scan on her. Also, the chakra contained in them couldn't be absorbed, because it was protected by a seal only she could remove. But since her own chakra had luckily not been absorbed and only blocked by the bonds, it had been an unnecessary precaution.

Sakura took a little razor-sharp blade – one of the objects she had prepared – from her left boot and used it to cut the bonds on her wrists. They fell on the ground immediately. Her chakra was free again.

But then she hesitated. What if there was someone who was controlling her from outside? Chakra bonds suppressed the chakra flow completely, making it undetectable. But now a ninja would be able to feel her chakra, since it wasn't restrained anymore.

Also, she still didn't know who had kidnapped her, and why.

So Sakura decided to put another little secret to use. She had a seal, in her back, where she could concentrate and store chakra. Not enormous quantities, but quite a bit. And it was accessible only to her. The pink-haired medic quickly concentrated all her chakra in there, making sure to leave almost nothing for herself, in case someone controlled her chakra flow.

Then Sakura tried to stand up quietly, to see if she had injuries other than the nasty headache. Nothing was wrong with her body, and she felt quite fine.

Suddenly, she thought she heard something. Quickly, she went back to the floor where she had been sitting before, put her hands behind her back and pulled the chakra bonds around her wrists, making them seem still bound.

Just in time. There was some rustling and the door opened. A man with silver hair entered. He grinned evilly when he saw her.

"So, my little dear, I'm sure you must be wondering why we captured you."

Sakura didn't answer. She kept a blank mask on her face, even if her mind was spinning. Since Kabuto was the one standing in front of her, it meant Sound was involved. And Orochimaru, too.

"But it's rather obvious," Kabuto continued. "You are one of the most proficient medics in the world. We need you to heal Orochimaru's arms."

Sakura's expression didn't change. So that was what it was all about. After Tsunade, the best medic in the world, had refused to help the Sannin, many years before, they were now after the abilities of her apprentice. "No," she said flatly.

Kabuto didn't seem deterred. In fact, his grin seemed to widen. He came closer to her. "Oh, don't be so hasty in making your decision, little one. You see," and he knelt down in front of her, "should you not… _cooperate_," and one of his hands went to her face to make her look at him, "Orochimaru has given me permission… to have some _fun_ with you." His hands took out a kunai from nowhere and slashed her vest rudely and repetitively. Her black bra was exposed to the cool air of the cellar. Kabuto was grinning evilly and lustfully now. His hand reached forward to touch her.

With one swift move, Sakura let the chakra bonds fall to the floor. She opened the seal on her body with a hand sign. Her chakra came back to her and she concentrated it in her fists.

Before Kabuto could process exactly what was happening, Sakura slammed her fist onto his heart.

The Sound-nin was thrown against the wall and slumped on the floor. He would never be able to hurt anyone anymore.

Sakura sneered mentally. How dare that monster touch her!

She stood up and went to the door quickly. Five shinobi of Sound were approaching. She sighed internally and attacked them. She had to leave that place as fast as possible. She wanted to go back to Itachi.

Mentally, she stopped for an instant. Since when was she so eager to go back to him? Did that mean... did that mean...

And as she smashed another opponent to the floor with her foot, it finally hit her: yes, it really meant that she cared about Itachi. And she cared about him far more than what she had originally thought.

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Itachi followed the traces of the masked ninja. He was one of the best trackers in Konoha, and it wasn't difficult for him to find the base where they were hiding.

By observing it carefully, Itachi deduced it was a Sound shinobi base. And whatever had to do with Sound was directly connected with Orochimaru. It was no mystery that Orochimaru needed someone to heal his arms, and he had asked Tsunade to help him, years before. It didn't take long for the Uchiha prodigy to put two and two together and guess that that was why Sakura had been taken.

Even more furious than before, Itachi didn't hesitate anymore. He knew that that was the place where Sakura was held hostage, therefore he would go inside and free her. He had no doubts that, as soon as she woke up, she would try to leave; so he would be there to help her in that.

After checking his surroundings and killing the two guards outside the base, Itachi entered the building.

There, he was faced by at least a dozen Sound-nins. Sharingan spinning, he got rid of them quickly. He extended his senses and felt Sakura's chakra coming from the basement.

He hurried towards her, killing more guards on the way. There were many, he noted. It meant that the base was an important one.

As soon as he reached the corridor in which he had felt her chakra, he saw her at the other end of it. She had just slammed an opponent on the floor with her left foot. As she straightened up, Itachi was able to see that her vest was completely torn and ruined, and her underwear was visible.

Anger and fear invaded him. What had they done to her?

In that moment, the pink-haired medic looked up and saw him. Their gazes met.

Instantly, on her face bloomed one of the sweetest smiles he had ever seen. "Itachi!" she exclaimed. She ran towards him, face radiating with happiness. As soon as she reached him, she threw herself into his arms.

Itachi caught her immediately and pressed her body close to his. While holding her in his arms, he was filled by a deep sense of relief.

She wasn't dead. She was with him. She was fine.

Sakura, engulfed in his arms, felt safe again. Happy to be with Itachi. Happy to have him with her once more. Oh, kami, how had she missed him, even if for just a short time...

He then broke the embrace to look at her intently. "Are you hurt?"

She shook her head, not able to speak. She was holding onto his clothes possessively, almost afraid of letting him go. She noticed his eyes landing on her ruined vest and narrow in worry.

She shook her head again, and this time managed to speak. "Kabuto tried to rape me, but I killed him before he could."

Itachi's eyes narrowed dangerously. "He _what_?"

Sakura was taken aback by his tone. She met his gaze hesitantly. "He… he said that I was to help Orochimaru with his arms. If I did not help, he… he could 'have fun with me'."

Itachi took her in his arms again and pulled her close to him. "I'm sorry for what happened," he murmured.

She shook her head for the third time. "Don't worry, I'm fine." She looked at him again, drinking in his features. Only now was she realizing in how much danger she had been. If she had died, she would never have seen Itachi again. They would never have been able to be together.

Her eyes filled with tears.

Itachi caressed her cheeks, looking at her. "What is it?" he quietly asked, seeing her expression.

She swallowed the lump that had formed in her throat. "Itachi, about what you told me a week ago…"

His eyes didn't leave her face for an instant.

"…could we, maybe, give it a try? I mean, I would totally understand if, after what happened today, you didn't want anything else to do with me, after all, I was so stupid to let myself be kidnapped and…"

Itachi interrupted her rambling by kissing her deeply.

When they parted, he held her gaze firmly. "Sakura, you were captured because you protected me from a danger I should have been able to prevent," he said seriously. "What happened today was not your fault." Then his lips tilted upwards in a smile. "What I feel for you has nothing to do with what the enemies do. It has all to do with _you_, and it always will."

Sakura wasn't able to speak. So Itachi continued, "If you accept to try to be with me, I promise I'll make it worth it."

She smiled and pulled him down for another kiss.

"Let's try, then," she said earnestly, and together they left the now deserted Sound base to go back to Konoha.

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A/N: and this is the end... yep.

Kabuto (I know, he's a bit OOC) and most Sound nins are dead, their base is destroyed, so Orochimaru will not be able to kidnap Sakura again. On the way back, Itachi and Sakura will meet the rescue team led by Shisui and Genma, who were worried sick. Their teammates will then try to make fun of them, but one ice-cold glare by a certain ANBU captain will be enough to make them shut up for good. After all, Sakura and Itachi are allowed to live their story without constant interference, aren't they?

Maybe you noticed the total absence of Naruto, Sasuke and Kakashi in this story-arc. It wasn't intentional, I assure you, I only became aware of that when I finished it. It seems that they simply weren't part of this.

By the way, I follow the original manga of Naruto, so I am perfectly aware that the storyline isn't fitting. But please let me remind you that this isn't Canon.

"Rapimento E Ritorno" is in Italian and it means "kidnapping and return".

Thank you very much for reading this story-arc. I know it wasn't as nice as the first one-shot, "Missione Seduzione", but I hope you enjoyed it anyway. I'm really grateful that you took the time to read this.

Now there is a new chaptered story coming up, called "A Deal For Peace".

Until next time, then!

KitsuneMiyuKendraHyuga

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21st August 2014

I decided to add a little epilogue. The very last of this story-arc is going to be called "**Promessa**".


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